In the construction of buildings with precast concrete panels, it is common to form or cast tilt-up concrete wall panels on a preformed concrete floor slab and then tilt the wall panels to upright vertical positions. Usually, the adjacent wall panels have gaps between the opposing edge surfaces of the panels, and the gaps may range from 1/2" to 11/4". The gaps are usually filled from the exterior side of the wall with a resilient rod and a sealant material which bonds to the rod and the edge surfaces of the concrete panels and provides for the necessary expansion and contraction of the panels. When the inner surfaces of the concrete wall panels are exposed, for example, in a factory or warehouse, it is desirable to cover the exposed joints or gaps between the wall panels to provide the wall with a more attractive inside appearance.
There have been a number of systems either proposed or used for covering and sealing the joints or gaps between structural panels of concrete and other materials, such as the joints between vertical wall panels or the joints between horizontal floor or deck panels. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,544 and No. 4,067,155 disclose joint sealing systems for wall panels and which include generally T-shaped sealing gaskets or members having multiple teeth or wings. The teeth or wings engage serrations within extruded members forming the opposing edge surfaces of the panels or within an opposing a joint member inserted into the gap from the opposite sides of the panels. U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,278 and No. 5,197,250 disclose expansion joint systems for use between horizontal concrete panels or slabs which form a horizontal surface or deck.
In any joint cover and sealing system for use with precast concrete panels, which may or may not have internal insulation layers, it is desirable for the joint cover to form a positive and dependable joint connection and cover which can accommodate a wide variety of gap profiles, for example, ranging from 1/2" to 11/4", and to be installed without any special edge preparation of the concrete panels. It is also desirable for the joint cover to be self-centering within gaps which are not perfectly linear and to provide for positively gripping the concrete edge surfaces of the panels. It is further desirable for the joint cover to be of economical construction and to be easily and quickly installed.